Friday, May 15, 2009

FOODIE FRIDAY - PASTA DI MAGGIO



Sometimes I like to create a dish out of what I have in and that's what I did this evening. Linguine are among my favourite pasta shapes; thicker than spaghetti, they "hold" a thick sauce or vegetables well and are less messy to eat if, like Chaucer's Prioress, you are intent "that no drope ne fille upon hire breast". [She is on my mind because earlier I explained the Prologue portrait to a student.] I have called the dish pasta di maggio or "May pasta":

For 4 people, cook about 400 gr linguine according to the instructions on the pack. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablesp olive oil in a wide frying pan. Add a pack of pancetta cubes [smoked pancetta will give a better flavour] and swirl around in the pan for a few minutes. Chuck in about a kilo of cherry tomatoes [wonderful Rosa brings me home-grown ones] with some chopped chives and basil leaves. Keep stirring until the tomatoes look as if they are about to burst [5 minutes or so]. Take the frying pan off the heat, drain the pasta when al dente and return it to its pan. Add the contents of a drained jar of mixed roasted or grilled peppers [cut into strips] to the tomatoes, stir it all and add to the pasta. [You could, of course, make your life difficult by grilling and peeling your own peppers beforehand but that's up to you.] Season with coarse seasalt - an Italian once told me that pasta requires coarse seasalt and he was right - and ground red pepper in the Sicilian way. Mix it all well together quickly, bung it in a serving dish, scatter over some more basil leaves and serve.

17 comments:

Mopsa said...

That's exactly my kind of supper, and my kind of bowl!

Liz Hinds said...

Simple and very tasty looking. I'll have to give it a try.

Whispering Walls said...

It that your home grown basil?

sally in norfolk said...

oohh my mouth is now watering.... i really should do some cooking ... never bother when its just me very naughty i know :-(

CherryPie said...

I love the bright colours it makes it look really appetising.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Mopsa. Thanks. The bowl came with me from Britain. Thanks, Liz. Indeed it is, WW. It grows very well on my balcony. The only trouble is, I keep using it! Hi, Sally. Yes, you must, you naughty girl! x Thanks, Cherie.

Wolfie said...

I had dinner tonight with "what I had in" as my wife is away staying with her parents.

So a bottle of Pouilly Fume for one it was...

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

That sounds a fine dinner to me, Wolfie!

jams o donnell said...

Simple but delicious! Your food is always so tempting!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Thanks, jams.

PinkAcorn said...

That looks like a healthy meal.

"an Italian once told me that pasta requires coarse seasalt and he was right - and ground red pepper in the Sicilian way."

What is " ground red pepper in the Sicilian way"? Ground pepper seed or a pepper corn?
Thanks!

Gledwood said...

that looks VERY striking and very nice indeed!!

muy bellissima as I would say in my pigeon South European latinate dialect ...

Ellee Seymour said...

So scrummy and tasty looking.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Gleds and Ellee. Thank you both.

Devonshire Dumpling said...

Drool - I do so fancy that. I'll give that a try this week.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, pink. A lot of people in Sicily think that ground black pepper is bad for you, so they use ground red pepper instead - very finely ground chilli pepper.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, DD. Do let me know how it turns out.

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